Because of Aang
by KataraXZukoFTW
Summary: Aang is unable to defeat the fire lord. Zuko and Katara are captured. How will they survive? It may take all their courage and maybe... their love. Sucky summery. Base loosely off Kelly Clarksons Because of you. Rated teen for safety. reveiw please.
1. Hope is lost

**Because of Aang**

Katara peeked out from behind the black marble pillar at her injured friend.

"I have to end this battle quickly or Zuko is going to die!"

A flash of lightning sent her scurrying for another hiding place.

"You can't win this waterbender!" Azula shouted. "You and my worthless brother are going to die here and there isn't anything you can do about it!"

Katara ran from her hiding place using her bending as a shield as well as a weapon. Trying to get close enough to heal Zuko and getting pushed back every time she tried. Then she saw an opening and took it. She used her bending to pick up a large pot and smash it against Azula's head knocking her unconscious. She ran over to Zuko, kneeling over him inspecting the wound caused by the lightning strike that had been meant for her.

"You didn't have to do that" she whispered, healing him as she spoke. "Why did you try and save me? Your people need you and you could have been killed!"

Zuko's eyes fluttered and his chest heaved giving her the indication that the healing was working. She pulled the water away from his wound and saw that it had healed as much as her waterbending could heal it. Running over to a wall and ripping its covering off she began to tear it into strips for a bandage. As she wrapped the makeshift bandage around his body he began to stir.

"That's it Zuko wake up." She said smiling. His eyes fluttered open staring deep into hers. She finished tying off the wrap. "Hey you really scared me there."

"Katara. What happened? Wait where is Azula?!* He said trying to sit up. He grimaced in pain and laid back down.

"Don't try and move yet. You took a lightning bolt to your chest. I managed to knock Azula out. She's over there…. Zuko why did you try and save me? You could have been killed."

"You're my friend Katara." He said bringing his hand up and stroking her cheek. "And friends look out for each other."

Katara felt a shiver shoot up her spine. She herself looking into Zuko's golden eyes and quickly looked away. "Why am I so shaky?" she asked herself.

"But if you had died… what would your people have done? I mean you are the one hope the fire nation has for peace."

"But I'm not dead. I'm alive because you refused to let Azula beat you. And Aang is out there defeating my father. He is our real hope not me. Now help me up we need to tie Azula down before she wakes up and kills us both." Zuko said as he tried to stand, but Katara held him down.

"You are not going to move an inch Zuko. I can handle tying her up. We can't have the future fire lord tearing his wounds open." She smiled, stood up and walked over to Azula using the left over wall covering to bind her hands and feet. As she looked upon one of her greatest enemies she marveled at how such a beautiful girl could have gone from evil to insane in a matter of days.

"Zuko?"

"Yes Katara? What is it?"

"I've been thinking… About the way Azula was acting tonight. Is that the only think power gives you? That is… Does power always drive those who seek it over the edge?" She walked back to him and put his head on her lap.

"Not if they are seeking it for the right reasons. Compare my uncle and Azula. My uncle seeks power so he can help people; Azula seeks it so that people will fear her."

"Oh. I see." She said running her fingers through his hair. She looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. She felt Zuko's head turn as if he had heard something. "Zuko what is it?"

"Someone is coming. We can't be sure what side they are on. Help me up. We may have a fight on our hands."

Katara sensed the serious tone in his voice and stood to help him. The doors flew open and in marched dozens of fire nation troops. Katara knew that neither of them were in the condition to fight. Zuko's injury was severe and she had used all of her energy fighting Azula and healing him. Before she knew it they were surrounded. A tall heavily decorated man stepped forward.

"Surrender. You are surrounded. And there is no way you can win. Perhaps Phoenix King Ozai will be merciful and kill you quickly."

"That means Aang…" Katara whispered, "Lost?" Her shoulders sagged in defeat.

"Damn it" Zuko thought, clutching his chest "So in the end Aang didn't have the courage to kill my father. And now the world is going to suffer for it." "Katara we don't have a choice." She turned and looked at him fear.

"But Zuko.."

"We've lost, Katara, we don't have another option." He hid his fear behind a stiff mask of determination.

"But if we could get to Appa…" she whispered.

"We wouldn't make it to Appa if we tried and Aang had the Bison whistle. Remember?"

She nodded and slowly released the little bit of ice that she had been holding like a dagger. She heard it shatter against the marble floor. Time seemed to slow to a turtlesnails pace as she felt Zuko being drag away from her side and two gloved hands forced her arms roughly behind her back. In the corner of her eye she saw a soldier bend down to untie Azula who had just regained consciousness. Azula gave them one of her best glares as if it were she and not her father's soldiers who had apprehended them. She stood and folded her arms across her chest.

"I'm not going to help you out of this one Zuzu." She said, sneering. "You are on your own."

Zuko winced, as he struggled to remain standing. "I have never asked for your help, Azula. And I won't start now. I never asked you to shoot a lightning bolt at Katara. All I did was make sure you didn't succe…" Zuko's faced twisted in pain and he fell to the floor.

"Zuko!" Katara shouted, breaking free and running to his side. "Zuko, are you alright? Talk to me."

"I'm alright Katara." He answered, squeezing his eyes shut. "Damn it. My chest hurts like hell."

"You have to get up, Zuko. Come on." She pulled his arm over her shoulders and tried to help him up. He attempted to regain his footing, but he slipped and fell back to the ground on top of Katara.

"I'm sorry Katara. I…" Zuko blushed.

"Don't even go there Zuko. Just try again." She helped him stand, making sure he didn't fall. She grimaced under his weight, but tried to hide it. Before she knew it her icy blue eyes had once again been entrapped in his liquid gold ones. She couldn't stop staring.

"Katara?" Zuko said.

"Yeah?"

"I think I'll be ok now. You can let me go."

Katara nodded and moved out from under his arm. But she stayed next to him until she was sure he wasn't going to fall again. Once again Katara heard Azula's cruel voice breaking the peaceful silence.

"Take the prisoners to the throne room. My father wishes to decide what punishment the traitor and his friend will ender personally."

Katara saw Zuko's eyes widen and could see that even he was afraid. Suddenly guards were pulling her arms behind her again. She felt a rope biting into the tender skin on her wrists, and bit her lip to keep herself from crying out. She drew blood, she could taste it. As the soldiers marched her down the hall, every so often she would peek over to see if Zuko was still standing. He was but she could see it was a struggle. He was continuously tripping over cracks in the time worn floor. Even so he walked with his head held high, like even if Aang had failed, his own part of the battle had been won. They approached the double doors of Ozai's throne room and Katara's courage returned. She knew that Aang would not want her show fear. He wouldn't want her to give up. Her back straightened a little.

"I have to be strong, even Zuko is trying to hide the extreme fear that I can tell he's feeling." She raised her chin, her face set as strong as the walls of Ba Sing Se. "I will not show even an ounce of my fear if I can help it."

The doors of the throne room flew open, the sound of them hitting the wall resonating down the corridor. Katara felt Zuko's shadow fall on her side and turned to look at him. His eyes were tired and his normally straight face had turned into a grimace of pain and sadness. Zuko turned and looked at her.

"How is she keeping her courage up? She has to know that Aang might not have survived because of his inability to kill my father." He looked into her eyes trying to understand.

"Aang will be here soon. He has to come. He will come I know it!" Katara said to herself turning back to the open door.

"I have to find a way to get us out of this. I cannot make the same mistake that Aang did. I cannot cause everyone else misery by letting my father live." Zuko set his face into the dancing orange shadows where he knew his father was waiting. "Here goes nothing. I hope Katara doesn't say anything rash. If she doesn't we might just make it out alive."


	2. I swear

Ozai stared down from his throne at his traitorous son and the small southern waterbender. His plan to burn down the earth nation may have failed do to the interference of the earthbender, water tribe boy and his girlfriend, but the phoenix king still felt he had won the day. The Avatar was most likely dead, and even if he was alive Ozai now owned the game board. He held the airbender's rook and queen hostage. Aang's bishop, the water tribe boy, could not have survived the fall he took of the airship and it was because of the earthbender, Aangs knight that she and the young airbender had fallen. Sure he may have lost Ba Sing Se but he now held two of most powerful benders in the so called team avatar prisoner.

Azula kneeled and addressed her father. "My Lord I have managed to apprehend the traitor and his accomplice. What shall be their punishment for daring to oppose you?"

Zuko's face had become devoid of emotion, so much so that Katara could not tell that only a few minutes ago he had look completely frightened. She was almost afraid of the intensity of the glare that Zuko had fix on the back of the room. He looked as if a new determination had come over him. She couldn't be sure but she almost liked this Zuko.

Katara's tan skin glowed radiantly in the low light. Her calming beauty kept slipping into Zuko's peripheral vision. In truth it was the only thing that had kept him from blowing his top thus far. He felt two sets of strong hands pushing on his shoulders forcing him to the ground.

"Silence Azula!" Ozai scolded "First I am sure that they are dying to know how it is I am alive if the fleet was defeated."

Katara let out a sigh of relief. The fleet had been defeated. Their friends in the earth nation were safe.

Zuko tensed his shoulders preparing for the worst of news. He knew that his father being alive meant one of two things. One, Aang hadn't been on able to kill his father because of his convictions or inability to go into the avatar state and was dead or seriously injured. Number two he didn't even want to consider, Aang had been too cowardly to show up and was safe somewhere while he and Katara were in this much trouble.

"The so called Avatar showed up and attempted to defeat me. Meanwhile your other friends, I believe they were a water nation boy, a kioshi warrior, and an earthbender, began knocking my airships out of the sky. The Avatar thought that he had gotten me far enough away that I couldn't hit them if I tried." A smirk crossed Ozai's face as Katara's eyes widened. "He was wrong. When he was distracted with catching his breath I shot a bolt of lightning at the platform they were standing on, and hit it."

"NO!" Katara shouted, tears filling her eyes. She blinked them back hoping that he would say they had managed to grab on to something and survived.

"Yes!" he sneered, "The Avatar saw the earthbender falling and caught her. The water tribe boy managed to grab on to the fin of an airship and the hand of the Kioshi warrior. But their weight was too great for it to hold, it tore and they fell to their probable deaths, because the Avatar didn't see them."

Katara sobbed and tears rushed down the soft contours of her face. Her older brother, her only family besides her father was gone. "Sokka" she whispered.

"When the Avatar landed the earthbender whispered in his ear. His eyes got real big and he ran to the edge of the stone pillar as if he were looking for something. Then he shouted something I couldn't understand and his eyes and arrows glowed blue. He attacked me leaving the defenseless earthbender on top of the pillar. She shouted at him to stop and calm down but it was as if he couldn't hear her." He boasted, as if it didn't matter that Aang was at his best when he went into the Avatar state. "I dodge a blow, took aim at the earthbender and fired. Suddenly the avatar came out of his trance like state and seeing the earthbender was in danger, jumped in front of my lightning to save her. His gallantry proved futile however. When the lightning hit him he flew back and hit the earthbender causing them both to fall off the pillar to their demise."

"Bastard!" Katara shouted, losing control of her normal calm self.

"Katara, don't!" Zuko pleaded.

"No Zuko I'm tired of being the good little girl, standing back and saying nothing when adults are present! I'm through! I've had it! I'm the only waterbending master in the South Pole, strike that, I'm the only waterbender in the South Pole period, and I am expected to hold my tongue, even among my own people. I'm seen as less than a person because of my age. No more! I am done standing back and whining because something did go the way I planned, it's time to act." Katara stood up and stared defiantly into the flames. "You may have defeated Aang and my brother. You may have managed to capture Zuko and me, but you will never win this war as long as the other nations have two things you never will. Hope and love for their land." Katara felt something hit her legs from behind and fell forward onto her knees.

"You dare to address the Phoenix King in such a way, peasant?" Katara heard Azula hiss from beside her.

"Will you stop calling me that? My father is the chief of our tribe. My brother would have been chief after him, but with his passing I am the last child of our family. That means I am crown princess and future chief of the Southern Water tribe." Katara raised her chin and looked straight forward trying to act how Yue might have had she been in this situation.

Zuko was shocked. Didn't she have any brains at all? Telling them that she was the last heir of the Southern tribe wasn't going to help get them out of this. If anything they would be killed after the soldiers tried every way possible to get information out of them. He winced again in pain and fear as his father's cruel laugh echoed throughout the room.

"Foolish child." He said with a deceiving tone. "You think waving your rank in front of you is going to save you pain. If anything all you've done is prolonged your suffering, because a prince or princess, in your case, is the hope and pride of their people." He stood and stepped down from the throne walking toward them. "If your people see you broken, they will break. Plus if I break you I might get the information I need to defeat them." Katara's eyes narrowed as he bent down and roughly grabbed her chin. A guard ran into the room and bowed.

"You better have a good reason for interrupting us." Azula snarled.

"My King, My Lady." The guard spoke, "We have found the bodies of the Avatar and the water tribe boy." A single tear ran down Katara's face, but only one. She had cried all of her tears already.

"What about the earthbender and the Kioshi warrior?" Ozai asked.

"We've captured them, My Lord." Katara's eyes widened, Suki and Toph were alive.

"Bring them here."

Another guard dragged in Suki who was carrying Toph on her back.

"Suki! Toph!" Zuko and Katara called in unison. Suki looked down at the ground trying not to show she was crying.

"Suger Queen! Sparky! Where are you?" Toph said with a trembling voice. "I can't see, my feet got burned again."

"And what might your feet being burned have to do with seeing?" Ozai quipped, looking over at his daughter for an answer.

"She's blind." Azula commented, enjoying the shiver she saw her voice bring to Suki's back. "She uses earthbending and "sees" with her feet."

"Well isn't that interesting." Ozai smirked, grasping Katara's shoulder and forcing her to stand. "Now we not only have the crown princess of the Southern Water tribe, but the leader of the Kioshi warriors as well as the most powerful earthbender alive in our grasps." He ran his fingers through Katara's hair. "How shall I ever decide how to best torture the information out of all of you."

Zuko's had finally had it. He was unable to stand and speak so he just turned his head. "Touch any of them and your death will be more painful than anything you could ever come up with for us time ten thousand. I swear I will not hesitate to kill you with my own two…" Azula kicked him in the side ripping his wound open again and causing him to fade into unconsciousness. Just before he blacked out he saw his tug down on Katara's braid hard as if to say Just. You. Try.


	3. As a Brother

Hey all sorry its been so long I feel really bad. And this chapter is short too. but its in first person XD. thanks for the reviews and faves and what not.

Bunzilla894: I'm glad you like it ^-^  
JAM: She is a real... never mind isn't she? and as you ordered an update XD  
DuskStark: Thanks. I wasn't sure about the characters but that removed my doubt.  
sokkantylee: He will didn't worry I just hope that you are as happy with the next chapters

Enjoy the next chapter. Oh and I have a question for you guys after you finish reading it. it will be on the bottom of the page.

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**As a Brother**

**Katara's POV**

"Firenation dungeons suck ass." Toph remarked seemingly staring through me.

Those were the first words she had spoken since Zuko had passed out in the Fire Lords throne room. We were now all sitting in a cell in Ozai's dungeon hoping that Zuko would wake up. His head was lying in my lap again just like it had when I defeated Azula. I stroked his hair like I had then.

"Toph must the first words you speak in a situation like this be crude?" Suki asked.

"What else would they be? I don't know how else to talk when half our family is gone."

"Toph I know you're hurting but so are we! Suki's lost her boyfriend and I have lost my brother by blood as well as the boy who was like a brother to me, but we have to be strong! Aang and Sokka wouldn't want us to give up!" I scolded.

I was scared too, especially after what Ozai had said about breaking me to break my people but I didn't want to show it. Zuko stirred in my lap, his eyes fluttering as if it was a strain to open them. His face tensed in pain as they opened all the way. He tried to sit up.

"Zuko don't!" I shouted pushing him back down. "You'll start bleeding again. I had trouble enough getting it stopped when you passed out because I had used all my energy to heal you when you save my life."

His eyes looked distant as if trying to figure out what had happen. Suddenly the widen in realization.

"My father!" He grabbed my hand, pulling toward him, nearly crushing my fingers in the process. "Did he hurt you?" His eyes stared deep into mine. He looked worried, frightened even.

"They threw us in here immediately after you went unconscious. He hasn't laid a finger on anyone of us as of yet." I lied trying not to look at him but my eyes couldn't break his gaze.

I was completely entranced. His eyes held a beauty that I had never seen before, brighter than even molten gold. He looked at my hair. I had taken it out of the braid and pulled it over my left shoulder to hide the hand shaped burn that Ozai had put there.

"You're lying to me Katara." He said brushing my hair back. His face twisted in anger. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want you to worry. I want you to concentrate on living. We need you; your nation needs you." I said as he traced his finger around the edge of the burn. His touch sent shivers down my spine. "What is up with me? I can't even look at him without being drawn in." I thought.

"Lying to me only make me worry more. I promised that I would keep you safe and I can't do that if you lie to me about being hurt. Do you know what could happen if this gets infected? I'm not the only one here who has people that need me."

"Zuko I…" He put his hand over my mouth and shushed me. I tried to yank it off before I heard what he had been silencing me for. It was sound of multiple feet heading down the hall in the direction of our cell. Toph and Suki hurried over to my side. Suki grabbed my left hand and Toph leaned on my right side. I could feel her shaking. I had never seen her so frightened. I looked down at my right hand that Zuko was clutching and saw the reason for her fear. Even if my face hadn't betrayed my fear I was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. It was my fault she was so scared. I couldn't stop shaking no matter what I tried. The door opened to reveal Azula accompanied by two sets of guards.

"That one there in the blue." She said pointing at me. "She'll be the first."

The first set of guards pulled Toph and Suki away from me. The second pair grabbed my arms one on each side and tried to force me to stand. I refused to move until I had set Zuko's head gently on the cell floor. When they managed to pull me to my feet they once again tied my hands behind my back. Each of them placed a hand on my shoulders, the one on my left deliberately putting pressure on my burn. I bit my lip in order to stifle a cry of pain and tasted blood.

They pulled me in front of Azula. I guess she expected me to look down at the ground because when I looked her in the eyes, like my father would have, she slapped me. Blood poured out of my cheek in the places where her nails had hit. Even so I kept my gaze locked in her. I wasn't going to let her look down on me. Just because I hadn't been born in a lavish palace didn't make me any less of a princess than she was.

"Try that again Azula." I snarled. "I'll never be beaten down by your insults or anything you can do me. And you know why? Because my brother and my best friend dared to defy your fathers will even in death by saving the people closest to them. So the least I can do is keep face through whatever you plan to do to me."

"In case you're forgetting, waterbender, their death got you into this situation. You shouldn't look to them for an example of how you should act. You bring only dishonor upon yourself by speaking so." She spat picking up a strand of my hair and twisting it around her finger.

"Better to bring dishonor on myself than dishonor the cause they fought for by quitting. Even someone like you should know that a cause is nothing if you're not willing to give your all for it."

"Someone like me?" She raised her hand to slap me again.

"If you lay a finger on her again Azula and I swear to Agni!" I heard Zuko hiss.

"Like father said earlier, Zuzu, how are you going to keep that promise when you're flat on your back in a prison cell? When you have that fingered out write me a letter or send me a messenger hawk. Until then I think I'll have some fun with your girlfriend here." She said yanking on my hair before turning to the door and motioning to the guards. They started to pull me from the cell and down the hall. The last thing I saw before the door slammed shut were Zuko's hands forming into fists on the floor.

Girlfriend? Me Zuko's girlfriend? Now that was pushing it. Or was it? I honestly didn't know how I felt about him anymore. I had clung to him since I had found out about Sokka and Aang. I thought that I was using him as a substitute brother, but was it something more? I shook off that idea as ridiculous. We had only just become friends and I was still having trouble not thinking of him as the son of the man and that controlled the man that killed my mother.

The walk down the long corridors and hallways in the castle seemed to take an eternity. An eternity that had me thinking about what Azula would do to me once we reached our destination. I turned to look at her it seemed that she had overcome the fit of insanity she'd been in when Zuko and I arrived. All the same that look was still in her eyes, the look that said "I don't care if you're my friend get in my way and your dead." I didn't know what her idea of fun was and I wasn't all that sure I wanted to find out. She noticed me looking at her and glared intensely. I turned my attention back to the hallway before me.

We past corridor after corridor and I soon began to wonder how anyone ever knew where they we're going. The guards turned me down a corridor that lead seemingly to a dead end. Azula pressed a panel on the wall. It opened to reveal a staircase that spiraled downward to a place I prefer to forget exists. Deep into the torture chambers of the fire nation castle.

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Isn't it just like me to end it there? I really didn't have a choice. I'm not sure what kind of torture to put her through without having to change to rating. any ideas? review and send me your ideas please. ^-^.


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